"Meet God - How to Get Right With The Lord" (With Videos - One on Salvation; & Two Must Watch Sermons by Pastor Charles Lawson) - Inspirational Weekend

 

                                       ["Turtle Beach" Or Laniakea Beach, North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii]

I was very inspired this morning by sermon videos on You Tube, and felt an urgency, even, to make a new post here immediately.  

If you have family members who are not saved, as is the case with me, then you realize the urgency that they come to a saving faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ -  and pronto !  Because Jesus' return is imminent, folks !  Following is a short 5 minute clip on salvation by Pastor Charles Lawson titled: "There is forgiveness at the Cross."  You might want to share this with unsaved family members or anyone else as well.  

Pastor Lawson gave a fantastic 45 minute sermon earlier this month titled: "How To Get Right With God".  He touches on many, many pertinent subjects and Scriptures.  He discusses Job and his ordeal with suffering and tremendous loss, as well as king David and his sins and how he suffered because of his errors. He mentions that in both Job's and David's case, they both repented.  He clarifies that repentance is MORE than just a change of mind.   This sermon on getting right with God is right to the point and not "sugar-coated." Pastor Lawson says that if you have had an encounter with God, that you "will tremble."

In the above sermon, much about how the devil is after true believers is discussed, and all the suffering we endure because of the evil brought upon us by that deceiver and slanderer, satan.

A wonderful Scripture that Christians can take comfort in is found at 1 John 4:4  which follows:

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."

If you are currently enduring many trials, take heart.  You must be doing something right !  Otherwise, the evil one would not be after you.   Remember what Jesus told His followers:

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:  but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you."  - John 15:18-19

And, oftentimes God will let us be tried by unbearable circumstances, not only to test our faith, but also to "prune" us, "strengthen" us, and to make us more Christ-like.  

We all realize, as well, that sometimes circumstances just happen out of the blue that bring suffering and trials, such as ill health, etc.  And as crazy as this world has become in these prophesied end times, just about anything you can imagine could knock us off our feet.

But as believers, we should not stay down long !  We have the good Lord to look to in faith!

Did you realize that Jesus considers us His friends if we obey and keep His commandments?

"Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."  -  John 15:14

This blog has often stressed that God and Jesus desire to fellowship with true believers.  The following 27 minute sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson discusses that very subject.  The sermon title is "To Know Him is to Fellowship with Him."  Please watch.  We all need this reminder.

Just a note:  In this sermon, it is brought out that God "despised" the ancient Israelites for their stubbornness and rebellion and sin.

[Turtle Beach - Laniakea Beach - North Shore, Oahu]

"The Lord gives His people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to Him."  -  Dwight L. Moody

"True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie."  -  A.W. Tozer

"God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which He must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves."  -  A.W. Tozer

"He who kneels before God can stand before anyone."  -  unknown

"If you live for people's acceptance, you'll die from their rejection."  -  Lecrae

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the one who is leading."  -  Oswald Chambers 

"Exercise daily  -  Walk with the LORD."  - unknown

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend -- and life !!

Inspirational Weekend - "The Hurt and the Healer"

"It's not whether you get knocked down.  It's whether you get up again."  -  Vince Lombardi

I hope your weekend is fantastic and that you are well and happy !   People need to be like these palm trees at Haleiwa Beach Park on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.   If you notice, a lot of sand - and hence stability - has eroded away from the base of these palms; yet they are still enduring and still have stable roots to keep them hanging in there.   People need stability as well as deep roots grounded in faith and hope in the good Lord to keep them strong and able to endure the erosions of life's trials, sorrows, anxieties,and heartaches.   Christians as well as unbelievers will have occasion to suffer while on this earth.    Remember, even Jesus suffered mockings, persecution, and eventually death.

It is not my intent to dwell on the troubles of this life on earth, but rather to share some encouraging thoughts and quotes and music to uplift you this weekend.  Jesus said, "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."  John 16:22

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.." - Psalm 30:5

Below is a music video to encourage and uplift you.  It is "The Hurt and the Healer" by Mercy Me

God is the Great Physician and Jesus as well, being our Healer.  "....And with His stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5 b

Back in 1998 I went through much hurt and pain when my marriage broke up.  I ended up crying a lot and  traveling for a very long time to try to find my way through the heartache and to find a place where I could settle down and start over again.   I had previously been very secular in my outlook, but I began praying more and more and reading the Bible for some stability.   One Scripture that I read frequently was Psalm 56 and in particular verse 8,  "Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle:  Are they not in thy book?"

Recently I went to 3 different Bible commentaries to find out what was meant by "tear bottle".

It is an allusion to a very ancient custom by the Romans and the Greeks.   In times of sorrow tears were actually collected and put into tear bottles or lachrymatories as a remembrance.  The word rendered "bottle" in this Scripture means primarily a bottle made of skin, such as was used in the East.  But it could mean a bottle of any kind.   A lachrymatory was a small bottle of thin glass or clay.  Many of these have been found in the ancient Roman tombs.  But the main point in Psalm 56:8 is that God was aware of David's tears and his wanderings and God did keep an account of them.   God cares about us and takes special interest in broken hearts.

"He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3

Remember, hurt and suffering can be for our well-being.   By it we learn life lessons and we also turn to God for help -- and in faith and obedience.   This pleases the heavenly Father and we in turn grow spiritually in the process.   

"And we know that all things  work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose"  -  Romans 8:28

Another music video follows..."Jesus You Are My Healer" by Don Moen

Think happy thoughts and dwell on good things.   There is much to be grateful for.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:"  -  Proverbs 23:7 a